OFFICIAL MINUTES OF THE ISC – TUESDAY, 31 July 2001, from 10 am

 

1. ATTENDANCE AND APOLOGIES

19 out of 20 members with voting rights were present, Said El Bikri was absent.

2. WELCOME AND OPENING

Stella Makanya as the Chair of the meeting declared the meeting opened at 10:40 am.

  1. AGENDA OF THE MEETING

    2. The agenda was adopted as follows:

  2. Report from the Programme Subcomm. meeting 30th July

  3. Programme of the NGO Forum

  4. NGO Forum Declaration and Plan of Action

  5. WCR Draft Declaration and Plan of Actions

  6. Miscellaneous

  1. REPORT FROM THE PROGRAMME SUBCOMM. MEETING 30th JULY

    2. The Programme Subcommittee (PSC) will distribute a written report on the workshops. ISC members are asked to look into the matter and to propose changes by the 1st August.

  2. PROGRAMME OF THE NGO FORUM – part I

Tabled documents:

Major explained the changes made in the 24 TCs:

The tabled papers became objects of a heated discussion. Albert appreciated and fully supported the work done by SANGOCO. ISC will work together with SANGOCO to develop the programme and accepts the papers of SANGOCO and PSC as the basis for that. Mercia proposed that a small group be working together with Major to merge the papers according to the logistics available in Durban and to report back to ISC the same day by 4 pm. The composition of the group: Myrna, Major and Palmira. All ISC members and caucuses are asked to submit their proposals concerning TCs, names, etc., to the PSC.

  1. NGO FORUM DECLARATION AND PLAN OF ACTIONS

Tabled document: NGO Programme of Action for WCAR (by SANGOCO, Annex A)

Roles of different actors were discussed. The role of SANGOCO was to co-ordinate the process while considering the documents of the NGO Forums from the regional conferences as well as the inputs from caucuses, and to submit it to the caucuses and ISC for approval, not to draft the paper itself.

Mohamed proposed a small group to work together with Major to bring the draft in accord with the previous NGO inputs from regions and caucuses the same day by 4 pm.

Major explained what has happened since the 2nd PrepCom: A proposal was made by some ISC members to change the Drafting Committee (DrC) to two members from each region. Some names have not arrived to SANGOCO, some DrC members resigned. Major was thus forced to integrate all the inputs himself. The document has already gone for translation and print.

Many members felt that they could neither take this explanation as satisfactory nor accept any political responsibility of ISC for them. Stella Tamang and Delia were concerned that the language of their respective caucuses have disappeared or have been unintentionally distorted.

ISC requested the documents be translated into more languages.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:20 pm until 5:20 pm. Vera Egenberger took over chairing. Margaret Parsons took part in the meeting, raising thus the number of members present to 19.

ISC agreed by consensus on the following rule:

"In case of an issue where a more clarity is needed ISC may request or call upon any person to make an intervention to provide clarification."

 

7. PROGRAMME OF THE NGO FORUM – part II

7.1 The working group proposes to reduce the number of TCs to 20, two days for each of them. No interpretation will be available for workshops (30 in each of 6 tents), just for plenaries and 10 TCs.

ISC decided to make the following changes of TCs:

Alberto proposed a new TC "Antisemitism". This motion was carried.

7.2 The role and expected outcomes of all the TCs must be clarified, described and posted on the Web. Generally, the role should be to visualize the problems, to involve prominent persons, to bring their outcomes into the NGO Forum Declaration and Programme of Action.

The responsibilities in the TCs have to be discussed by ISC. Mercia asked that the ISC accepts the collective responsibility for the NGO Forum and its outcomes.

7.3 Responsible ISC members for the TCs:

  1. Administration of Justice and Criminal Justice: Margaret (+ Terrence Pitts)

  2. African Descendants: Margaret and Palmira

  3. Antisemitism: Mirek, Shimon

  4. Colonialism/Foreign Occupation: Khader and Palmira

  5. Dalits and Caste Discrimination: Paul

  6. Disabled: Margaret (+ Teresa Penafiel)

  7. Displaced Persons/Migrants/Refugees/Asylum Seekers: Vera, Mohamed

  8. Education, Information, Communication and Media: Mirek, Myrna, Palmira (+ Irene Leon)

  9. Ethnic Minorities: Stella Tamang

  10. Gender: Berhane (+ Kimberley Cranshaw, Epsie )

  11. Globalization, Poverty, Social Exclusion and Environmental Racism: Nimalka, Alberto (+ Deborah Robinson, Robert Bullard)

  12. Hate Crime and Hate/d Groups/Ethnic cleansing/Conflict/Genocide: Khader, Vera, Alioune (+ Francisco Calí)

  13. Health and HIV/AIDS: Myrna (+ Vernelia Randall)

  14. Indigenous Peoples: Stella Tamang

  15. Palestinians/New Forms of Apartheid: Khader, Nimalka

  16. Religious Intolerance: Paul, Mercia

  17. Reparations and Compensation: Margaret, Albert, Mercia (+ Dudley Thompson, Roger Wareham)

  18. Roma: Delia

  19. Sexual Orientation: Myrna (+ Pumie Notishia Massaquoi)

  20. Slavery and Slave Trade: Stella Makanya, Berhane, Alioune

  21. Trafficking: Stella Tamang, Nimalka

  22. Youth and Children: Mohamed, Jalida

The caucuses will be asked to submit their further proposals.

7.4 Palmira, Myrna and Major will list the submitted names and report them to ISC by 1st August 4 pm. ISC, responsible people as listed above and SANGOCO have to co-ordinate themselves in order to provide right names of facilitators, keynote speakers and rapporteurs who would have confirmed to come to Durban. It is also necessary to write guidelines for the TCs.

8. NEXT MEETING

8.1 Mercia stated on behalf of SANGOCO that the translating of both the NGO Forum documents has been stopped. The work will need at least 3 weeks. Proposals of changes have to be submitted to Charles Pillai by Thursday, 2st August, 9 am, printed and on a floppy disc. All caucuses (even those absent in Geneva) have to be fairly informed about this possibility and deadline.

    1. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 1st Aug from 10 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm in the Room XXII. At this meeting, ISC should discuss the concept of the documents (with annexes or without, etc.), not to draft them. Another point of agenda will be preparation for the meeting with Ms Mary Robinson. Alberto Saldamando was elected to chair the next ISC meeting.

8.3 ISC members should come to the meeting with the heads of caucuses at 9 – 10 am in the Room IX.

  1. CLOSURE

The Chair closed the meeting at 9:15 pm.